Butter-worker.



Patented Nov. 7, |899.

A. 0. BUTLER.

BUTTER WORKER.

(Application led Jan. 12, 1899.

l(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED O. BUTLER, OF JUMBO, OHIO.

BUTTER-WORKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,630, dated November7, 1899.

l Application filed January 12,-71899. Serial No. 701,941. (No model.)

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED O. BUTLER, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Jumbo, in the county of Hardin and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Butter-Workers; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin theart to which it appertains to make and use'the same.

This invention relates to improvements in butter-Workers of that classwhich employ a roller for pressing and rolling the butter to free it ofthe buttermilk; and the purpose of the same is to provide a simple andinexpensive construction of device which does away with theobjectionable backand-frorth travel of the roller and Awhereby theoperation of working the butter may be speedily and effectivelyaccomplished with less exertion on the part of the operator.

A further object of the invention is to `so arrange and shield thepa'rtslof the operating mechanism as to avoid' all liability of thehands of the operator being caught therein and the butter coming incontact therewith, to mount the roller so that it may be readily turnedup to permit of the parts being conveniently cleaned, to provide for thereadyV drainage off of the buttermilk and prevent splashing of the samewhen the device is in operation, and to otherwise generally simplify andimprove the construction and increase the efficiency of apparatus ofthis character. Y

With these ends in View the invention consists in certain novelfeaturesof construc- Referring now more particularly to thel drawings,whereinlike letters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout theseveral views, A represents a rectangular wooden frame open at top andbottom and consisting of sides B and ends C permanently connected. Theend pieces are provided in their upper edges with notches d, for apurpose hereinafter described, and the side pieces project above the endpieces and are formed on the inner surfaces of their projecting portionswith longitudinal grooves or ways e. Slidably mounted in the frame is areciprocating table or work-board F, which is provided at its side edgeswith tongues g, arranged to travel in the Ways, and pivoted to the innersides of the said side pieces at the rear of the frame are legs h, whichmay be turned down to support the frame, so that it will inclinedownward from the rear to the front, as shown in Figs. l and 3, andfolded up on the interior of the frame when the apparatus is not in use.The table is reciprocated through the medium of a rack-bar t', securedto theunder side thereof and which meshes Withapinion j, mounteduponatransverse shaft J, journaled in the sides of the frame and havingone end projecting beyond the same and provided with acrankhandle K. Byturning this crank-handle to the'right the table will be moved forwardlyand by turning it to the left the table will be moved rearwardly in amanner that will be readily understood. When the table is reciprocated,the rack-bar slides in the notches d of the end pieces, thus enablingthe table to be closely iitted down on said end pieces and providing acompact frame. It will be noted that all of the gearing which operatesthe table except the crank-handle is inclosed within the frame, and thusall liability of the hands or clothes of the operator being caughttherein and injured is entirely avoided. The table is provided in itsupper surface with longitudinal drain grooves or channels Z, which arearranged adjacent to and extend parallel with the side edges thereof. Atthe front end of the frame these grooves or channels are connected anddeepened to form a catch-basin fm, in which is arranged adischarge-opening fn, normally closed by a suitable plug or stoppern'. Apressing-roller O extends transversely across the frame at the centerthereof and above the table. This roller is provided at one end with astubshaft o, which is fitted in an opening in the center of abearing-plate p, hinged at its lower edge to the inner edge of the bentupper end of a plate p', which laps over upon the upper edge of one ofthe side pieces B. This plate p' is secured to the outer surface of theside piece and forms a wear-plate and bearing for the reception of theadjacent end of the transverse shaft .Land thereby relieves said sidepiece of excessive strain and wear. The opposite end of the roller isformed with a rectangular stud or boss o', which enters acorrespondiugly-shaped socket formed in the inner face of a pinion q andconnects said parts, so that they will turn together, but may beattached by sliding one away from the other, and this pinion is providedwith a journal q', which normally has bearing in the notched upper endof a pillow-block q2, secured to the other side piece of the frame andhaving a cap Q3, connected thereto by a key or analogous device fj* andserving to hold the journal in place. By removing this key the cap andjournal may be released and the roller turned upon the hingedbearing-plate to enable the roller and work-board to be readily andconveniently cleaned, and in this operation the bearing-plate p tiltsdown on the-bent overlapping end of the plate p/ and forms a seat uponwhich the roller may stand upright. The roller is operated directly fromand simultaneously with the work-board by a rack-bar a', which mesheswith the said pinion thereon, and this bar is provided on its inner sidewith a vertically-arranged shield or guard flange s, whose upper edgeenters a groove t, formed by the space between the inner side of thepinion contiguous to the end of the roller. The purpose of this guard isto shield the rack-bar and pinion and prevent the hands of the operatorfrom being caught therein during the operation of working the butter, aswell as to prevent the butter as it is spread out under the action ofthe roller or turned by the operator from coming in contact with therack-bar and choking the same. \Vhen oil or some other lubricant is usedto insure the easy and noiseless operation of the rack-bar and pinion,the guard also serves to prevent the same from splashing onto or workingtoward the butter, which is a desideratum in devices of this character.

In operation the apparatus is placed upon a table or some other suitablesupport, the folding legs turned down to elevate the rear end thereof,and the work table or board moved rearwardly to its fullest extent. Thebutter to be worked is then packed down on ,the table between the draingrooves or channels and the crank operated to reciprocate the table backand forth and at the same time turn the roller, the butter being therebypressed and rolled between two oppositelyworking surfaces, which serveto press out the buttermilk and Water in the most effective manner.After the butter has been passed under the roller until itis spread outand the roller no longer exerts the required pressure thereon it is cutup and turned over by means of a suitable paddle and packed to doubleits former thickness and the crank again operated to pass it under theroller until worked to the desired extent. By working the butter in thismanner between two oppositelyworking surfaces composed of a c lindricalroller and a flat reciprocating workoard and avoiding the cutting up ofthe butter while it is being worked practically all of the buttermilk isexpressed and the texture of the butter rendered closer, firmer, andfiner by the frictional action set up. The buttermilk and water forcedout run into the side grooves or channels and then flow by gravity tothe catch-basin. When this basin is full, the plug is removed and thecontents allowed to discharge through the drain-opening into a suitablereceptacle placed beneath the frame. The drain-hole is normally closedby the plug to prevent the buttermilk from escaping and from beingsplashed about while the table is in operation.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings,it will be seen that the invention provides a butter-worker which issimple in construction, efficient in operation, and capable of beingmanufactured at small cost.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention is herein shown, it willof course be understood that changes in the form, proportion, and minordetails of construction may be made within the scope of the inventionwithout departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantagesthereof.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new isl. In abutter-worker, the combination of a rectangular frame open at top andbottom, a reciprocating work board permanently mounted in said frame, awear-plate upon one of the side bars of the frame and havingits upperend bent laterally and lapping over upon the upper surface of said sidebar, a bearingplate hinged to said overlapping end of the wear-plate, apillow-block upon the other side bar of the frame and having adetachable cap and a key confining the same, a pressing-roller mountedin said hinged bearingplate and pillow-block and carrying a pinion, arack-bar upon the top of the work-board meshing with said pinion, arack-bar upon the bottom of the Work-board, and a transverse shaftmounted in the side bars of the frame and wear-plate and carrying apinion meshing with said latter rack-bar.

2. In a butter-worker, the combination of a frame, a work-table mountedtherein and IOO IIO

carrying a raek-bar, a hinged bearing upon journal removably mounted insaid Xed bearone side of the frame and a xed bearing ing. 1o upon theother side thereof having a remov- In testimony whereof I aix mysignature able cap, a pressing-roller having a stub-shaft in presence oftwo witnesses.

at one end journaled in the hinged bearing ALFRED O. BUTLER. [L. 8.]

and a rectangular stub or boss at its other Witnesses:

end, and a pinion provided with a reetangu- S. T. ARMSTRONG,

lar socket to receive said stud or boss and a O. J. SWANDER.

